Edmund Rice Ministries Foundation,Philippines,Inc

June 11, 2026

The Building Inclusive and Resilient Community (BIRC) Project of ERMFPI successfully conducted an orientation on Republic Act No. 8371 (Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act of 1997) and Republic Act No. 11596 (Prohibition of Child Marriage Law) at the Liga ng mga Barangay Conference Hall, Balay Lungsod, Bato, Leyte. The activity was made possible through the free accommodation support of the Local Government Unit of Bato.

The orientation was facilitated by invited resource speakers Atty. Franklin Villacastin, Legal Provincial Officer, and Junri Jundam, Tribal Affairs Assistant of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP). The event was attended by 30 Sama Bajau community leaders from Dolho, Bato, Leyte.

Beyond discussing the legal rights and protections of Indigenous Peoples under the IPRA Law, the session also emphasized the importance of tenurial security, ancestral rights, and other legal entitlements specifically granted to Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs).

The orientation aimed to strengthen awareness, promote legal empowerment, and encourage the active participation of the Sama Bajau community in safeguarding their rights.

Later in the afternoon, ERMFPI BIRC facilitated a Focused Group Discussion (FGD) with representatives from the Local Government of Bato, Leyte. Participants included the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO), the Barangay Affairs Office (BAO), NCIP, Sama Bajau community leaders, and the ERMFPI BIRC team. The discussion centered on identifying collaborative plans, priority interventions, and sustainable programs that will uphold the rights and improve the overall well-being of the Sama Bajau community.

Guided by the mission of Blessed Edmund Rice, the ERMFPI BIRC project continues to find meaningful ways to empower marginalized communities—not only by educating them about their legally protected rights but also by promoting inclusive and sustainable development through strong collaboration with government agencies and community stakeholders.

Calling all dear Batohanons of Bato, Leyte, Philippines and Friends:

Let us remember that caring for the poor, protecting creation, and helping children are acts of love and faith.

As we plant mangroves and support the Sama Bajau community, we are also planting hope for future generations. Every small act of kindness can create lasting change in the lives of others.
May we continue to work together with compassion, unity, and generosity for our communities and our environment.

Live Jesus in our hearts… forever. Amen.
Inspired by the life and mission of Blessed Edmund Rice

📍 May 25, 2026
Sama Bajau and ERMFPI Kamustahan at Balay Lungsod, Bato, Leyte

A successful and meaningful “Kamustahan” conference between the Sama Bajau community of Dolho and Edmund Rice Ministry Foundation Philippines Inc. (ERMFPI) was held at the Balay Lungsod avenue freely provided by the Municipality of Bato.

Facilitated by former ERMFPI employee and renowned advocate Josefa Pizon, the activity focused on
✅ Simple recording and documentation
✅ Financial management and financial analysis
✅ Livelihood opportunities provided by ERMFPI
✅ Mangrove livelihood promotion updates
✅ SDG 9 & 10 promotion
✅ Partnership and collaboration strengthening
✅ Mangroves Bato Municipal-Wide Fundraising and Educational Support Drives

The gathering reflects the continuing mission of ERMFPI in empowering the Sama Bajau community through sustainable livelihood, education, inclusion, and community development.

“Blessed Edmund Rice always drives for sustainable livelihood and inclusive opportunities for left-behind communities.”

Contributed Article
𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙪𝙣𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙙, 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙪𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙙 –
𝘽𝙮 𝙈𝙞𝙣 𝙈𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙮𝙖, 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙖 𝙈𝙖 𝙈𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙮𝙖.

In the Sama Bajau community in Dolho, Bato, Leyte, five social work student-trainees from the Southern Leyte State University-Maasin City Campus, in partnership with the Edmund Rice Ministries Foundation Philippines, Inc., Maasin City, were immersed in a transformative experiential learning journey, bridging the gaps between theoretical knowledge and the people’s lived realities.
From February 9 to May 15, 2026, the social work student-trainees were actively involved in various community-centered activities. These included family immersion, household survey, presentation and validation of survey results, community development planning, and activity implementation. In between these guided undertakings were random but meaningful interactions with every cranny of the community.
Venturing under stilt houses; sitting on bamboo benches; joining in outdoor games; and sharing a plate with the people. The students not only conversed with the children, youth, adults, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities – they lived with them.
They struggled with differences in the native language but they reached mutual understanding by speaking the language of natural human connection: empathy, genuine listening, suspended judgment, and trust in the people’s strengths and capacities.
Every word spoken and every sigh expressed defined the realities that the community people perceived, observed, felt, and experienced. These are reflected in the social, health, economic, political, spiritual, cultural, environmental aspects of life and living which they continue to navigate.
The people’s voluntary participation both in spontaneous conversations and guided activities shed light on the community issues, challenges, and concerns. Their awareness of such conditions shaped the realization of their internal capacities and resources and signified the fundamental essence of community development:
“Dapat sa taw pud mismo magsugod unsaon pagpalambo ang community aron maimpluwensiyahan ang uban. (It must start with ourselves how we can develop the community so that we can also influence others.)” - A collective statement of the Sama Bajau.
The community-based practicum formed part of the social work student-trainees’ curriculum requirements through which they applied and strengthened social work values, principles, attitudes, skills, and knowledge. More importantly, however, their direct engagement with the Sama Bajau has equipped them with knowledge beyond what daily time record calculates and written outputs contain, emphasizing that community immersion is not merely a scheduled academic activity, it is a raw and meaningful process of learning from people who continuously live their realities within the community.
The experiential learning journey provided the student-trainees an avenue to leverage theoretical knowledge and fathom it in the context of living with the people – engaging both the mind and heart in learning the realities within the community and advocating genuine community development: by the people and for the people.